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Important 2014 Dates

The 1%

Completion of Spring 2014  coursework.

Apr

28

Summer 2014 Courses begin

May

/

12

MAET Completion.

Congratulations on Master's Degree!!

Courses for Completion

CEP 807 Pro Seminar
CEP 818 Creativity Tchng & Lrng
TE 846 (Reading Requirement)
Apply for NP Endorsement

WATCH MY VIDEO

It has always been a dream of mine to attend a major university, though a post-secondary education was far from my reality. Most in my family were lucky to even graduate high school. To date only my sister and I graduated high school. I have three siblings that did not.  The truth is that when I did graduate I had already had a child. My sister who graduated before me had two kids before she graduated. Statistics claim that less than 3% of teen mothers would earn a B.A before their 30th birthday. The statistic is less than 1% if that young mother is a minority. Unfortunately, my sister fell victim to those numbers. Yet motherhood was my wake-up call and I refused to believe that my station in life would be a repeat of what I had come from: Ma left school in the ninth grade. Apa (dad) in the third. Ma dependent on government assistance. Apa on anything he could smoke, snort, inject or drink. Poverty, abuse, violence and crime fulfilled my young life. But there is no resentment. My parents they did the best they knew how. And not too bad considering they produced an MSU grad. 

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"               Phillipians 4:13

Thank You!!

I would like to express many thanks to my husband of over twenty years for helping me to reach this  milestone in my life and fulfill this dream of graduating from Michigan State University.  My Master's degree is as much his as it is mine. We are not your typical modern couple. As a matter of fact we are a pretty rare couple. We married fresh out of high school and with a daughter already. We started our lives together from very humble beginnings and against all odds. I worked at McDonalds and he bussed tables at a local restaurant.  Unable to provide for ouselves we lost the home we were renting and were homeless for a short time.  Finally able to get on our feet we were hit with another blow. Our second child was born with Cerebral Palsy and required all the care of a newborn for all his life. Too strong and committed to each and our family, we perseverd and supported each other through this trying time. However, we were never able to get ahead financially.  Although my son required around the clock care, it was imperative that I found employment and contribute financially. Bills wer piling and there were things we just were not able to do for our family. One day I was looking in the ads for a job and what happened next changed our lives forever. My husband came over to see what jobs were available. After a long quiet pause, he looked at me and said, "Just go back to school. Go and get your degree. I'm tired of living like this. You're smart. You've always been smart. You can do it." So I did. I broke the cycle.  But more importantly I set, no we set, an example for our children. We modeled hard work and the importance of an education. Today that baby girl I was pregnate with in high school is an art student at the Illinois Institute of Art. My youngest, a sophmore in high school, is going to an Ivy League, and Angel now 17 is happier and healthier than ever.  Though his abilities are still very limited, he inspires us everyday and we all attribute much of our success to him as well.  My husband, Oscar, stepped up and took on the role of what God had called him to do as a father and a husband. He leads his family and truly loves his wife like the Lord loves the church. Not a day goes by when I am not thankful for him. So, Mi amor, I just want to say thank you for always believing in me. You knew what I came from and what I was about and you still loved me and supported me and continue to do so.  Te quiero mucho con todo mi corazon. (besos)

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14

Aug

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